it's his election victory. we all know in our own lives that presidential attention is enormously effective. i'm wondering whether you're hearing anything about how the republicans in the house are reacting at this point. >> well, i think what's really interesting is if the president does get a deal on taxes, and if we get over the fiscal cliff, i think that that's actually going to create probably some kind of war in the republican party. >> you mean over by avoiding? >> yeah, over by avoiding, exactly. >> it's a tricky metaphor. >> it is. exactly. >> like the roadrunner. >> but i think going to peter's point, i think that this debt ceiling issue will become the issue, and i think republicans will probably harden over that in the house. and i think that's really problematic because it's this on again/off again crisis thing. it makes us seem like an emerging market economy here. >> are we greece? >> our politics are becoming as dysfunctional as greece. i mean, we're not greece, but if you look at what businessm